The Wobbly Morning

Some Saturdays go smoothly. This one didn’t.

It started with June. She was three, it was her very first time in the Playroom, and she stood just inside the door with her coat still on, holding the door handle as if she might leave.

The other Sidekicks were busy, so Linden went over. She didn’t rush. She crouched down a little way off, hands on her knees, and noticed.

June’s eyes kept going back to the door. Her other hand was holding a corner of her coat very tight. She wasn’t looking at any of the toys.

Linden thought about every coach move she knew. None of them were right yet. June didn’t need a troll or a new idea. She needed to feel safe first.

“Lowen,” Linden whispered. “I think June needs you.”

Lowen came over and did what he always did. He got low, sitting on the floor near the door. He went slow, breathing quietly. He stayed close, but not too close. He didn’t say much.

“Your grown-up is just through there,” he said, pointing at the cooking-class door. “Cooking. You can see the door from here.”

June looked at the door, then at Lowen. She let go of the handle.

Lowen picked up a soft toy rabbit from the basket and sat it on his knee. He didn’t hand it to June. He just let it be there.

After a few minutes, June came and sat next to him. After a few more, she touched the rabbit’s ear. Then she took off her coat. Linden smiled. Calm first. The game could wait.

Across the room, Kit and Benji were building a ramp out of cushions for their cars, and it was getting very tall. Hallam was watching them. He’d noticed that the cushion pile was wobbling.

“Let’s make it a bit lower,” he said. “So the cars don’t fly off.”

Too late. Kit stepped on the top cushion to see the view, slipped and landed hard on his knee on the wooden floor by the edge of the rug. He started to cry. When Hallam knelt down, he saw that Kit’s knee was scraped and bleeding.

Hallam didn’t try to sort it out himself. He didn’t wonder whether he should. He said, “Stay here with Benji, Kit. I’m getting Mrs Okafor,” and walked quickly to the class next door.

Mrs Okafor came straight away with the first-aid box, cleaned the knee, put a plaster on it and gave Kit a sticker for being brave. Hallam stayed with Benji and helped him lower the cushion pile.

“Good call,” Mrs Okafor said quietly to Hallam as she went back. Hallam felt the tightness in his chest let go.

By the end of the morning, June was playing a slow, quiet game of rabbit tea party with Lowen, and Kit was showing everyone his plaster. When the moon on Finley’s watch got near the top, she went round the room.

“Five more minutes, then the Playroom goes to sleep.”

The rabbit tea party had two more cups of tea. Then Finley said, “Time to tuck the rabbit into the basket.” June put him in herself, carefully, and patted his head.

“See you next Saturday, rabbit,” said Finley, and gave June a little wave. June waved back.

When the little kids had gone home, the five of them sat on the steps outside. Odessa took out her three plain cards.

“That was a wobbly morning,” said Lowen.

“It was,” said Odessa. “So let’s look back. First card. When did the kids lead?”

They thought.

“June led when she touched the rabbit’s ear,” said Linden. “I didn’t make her. She chose to.”

“Kit led when he showed everyone his plaster,” said Hallam, laughing. “He was very proud of it.”

“Second card,” said Odessa. “What worked?”

“Noticing June was scared before trying a game,” said Linden.

“Getting low and slow,” said Lowen. “And not handing her the rabbit. Just letting it be there.”

“Fetching Mrs Okafor straight away,” said Hallam. “Even though I wanted to fix it myself.”

“The five-minute warning,” said Finley. “June put the rabbit to bed without crying.”

“Third card,” said Odessa. “What would we try next time?”

“Lower cushion piles,” said Hallam, and everyone laughed.

“Let a new kid keep their coat on as long as they want,” said Lowen. “It’s like their safety blanket.”

Sola had been listening from the doorway. She came and sat on the step above them.

“No coach moves today,” she said. “Not really. Hardly any trolls or boats or echoes.”

“No,” said Odessa. “Just the quiet stuff.”

“The quiet stuff is what makes the moves work,” said Sola. “Noticing first. Calming first. Knowing when it’s more than play and a grown-up is needed. Ending well. And looking back, like this, to find what worked, even on a wobbly day.”

Odessa looked at her three cards. She hadn’t written anything on them. She didn’t need to.